The ZaLords Guard
by JRush
Summary: This is a One off. It takes place immediately after Changes. Toot's reaction to Harrys disappearance. Feel free to let me know what you think.


"The Za-Lords Guard"

All characters and settings are the property of Jim Butcher.

"The Za-Lord has been attacked! His home and office have been destroyed! He has been hurt and is currently missing! We need to mobilize and fast!" The dew drop fairy yelled to be heard above the noise of the street on one side and Lake Michigan on the other, a large gathering of fairies, pixies and other wild fae had gathered at his request. "The Za-Lord has proven he is fearless and a solid friend to the little folk and it is time for us to prove our worth!" Nods and shouts of approval rippled throughout the multicolored crowd of luminescent beings. Some were but a pinpoint of light, others were two to three inches tall, but the one addressing them was a full eight inches tall, he was their general. He was Toot-toot, friend of the Za-Lord and head of his guard. He had called this meeting to rally the troops and find their master and bring whomever had caused him pain their just deserts.

They had gathered in a small stand of trees at the marina, the whole congregation took up maybe a ten by ten foot area in the noise buffer between the marina and the streets of Chicago. It was a clear and cold night but there were still police checking the crime scene and large halogen lights lighting up the area as they went over the outside of the boat looking for fibers or other evidence that could lead them to the assailant.

"From what the gold shield mortals have said it looks like he fell into the water after being hurt. We need to get the sylphs and nymphs looking for him! We don't have much time so if you ever want to get a piece of pizza all to yourself that isn't cold left overs from someone's counter, then we need to move NOW! For The Za-LORD!" General Toot-toot finished in a crescendo and to the cheers of everyone in attendance.

From the crowd an older fairy spoke up, "I know a kelpie in this lake, she'll help!" he shouted. "We can get the birds to help look too!" yelled another. "I know someone who knows someone who can get the fish to help look too!" yelled yet another tiny voice. People often underestimate the little folk, they may be tiny but when directed to do a simple task like find something, there is no one better and they were on a mission to save their benefactor. They were up to the task.

"Then get going the sooner we find him the more likely he won't be dead!" yelled Toot to his assembly. "Go now and get whatever help you can, I must go to the winter court but I expect a report when I get back!" Upon mentioning the winter court everyone exchanged serious looks. You didn't go to the winter court unless you were summoned and even then it usually didn't go well. What he had proposed is similar to mentioning you were going into a hostile den of crazed ninjas to ask to use their phone. But they had their marching orders and to save their benefactor they would call in whatever favors they had. The Za-Lord had dealt fairly with them, he even gave them pizza when they did nothing but clean his house, which for a fairy amounted to a little magic and a lot of snooping. He had been good to them, which is saying a lot as most wizards that bothered with them was less than impressed with their stature and tended to bully them. The Za-Lord had not only been actually nice to them but had gone out of his way to free many who were there from the clutches of the white court and asked nothing in return and did I mention he gave them pizza on a regular basis.

As the crowd dispersed in an explosion of color and beating wings, fairy dust flying in all directions, Toot-toot stood alone in the dark grotto planning his next move. The winter court was the less hospitable of the two courts. He was wild fae and did not serve their court so he would be fair game to any monster or court member who wanted to have a fairy on a leash or worse yet, a snack. He pushed down his fear. There were bigger issues at stake, namely pizza and the man who had made him a general, the Za-Lord.

When he first met the wizard Harry Dresden, he had been your typical fairy. Well even other fairies laughed at him. Since then, he had helped to stop a rogue fairy queen and was promoted to General of the Za-Lords guard. He was the keeper of pizza and leader of the guard for the man who had done much for them. Now he was respected and it was time for him to help his lord. Fairies may not be known for their fearlessness, but at this moment he was willing to face Mister, Harry's 30lb cat to achieve his purposes and even worse, Leanan Sidehe Harry's fairy godmother.

The gates of Arctis Tor stood like spears of ice in the frozen wasteland. The wolves and yeti wandered in circles below the pale blue ball of light. "I am Toot-toot of the dew drop fairies, here to speak to the Lady Leannan Sidehe on a matter of the utmost importance!" shrieked Toot as he circled just out of reach of the guards at the gates. Try as they might the little fairy was faster than the guards and swooped just out of reach as they jumped trying to snatch him out of the air for a quick snack. After the fourth or fifth time of announcing himself and dodging drooling fanges as he did so, the gates made a thunderous sound like that of a wide rivers ice cracking during the spring thaw. For all the popping and groaning of the gates they only parted a small way to allow a froggy looking person to slip through the gates. With a word the dire wolves and yeti stepped aside to allow him to approach.

"I am Toot…" he started again as the froglike fellow waved his words aside, "You have been granted an audience with the winter Queens handmaiden, I trust you understand the consequences if you are wasting her time?" he snarled with a leering look towards Toot at the last part.

"I do!" said Toot, puffing out his chest and pulling himself to his full height as he floated in midair, sharpened letter opener swords crossed over his back and a plastic box opener hanging on his belt.

The froglike creature simply rolled his eyes and muttered, "follow me, sir." His webbed hands ended in sucker like fingertips and his eyelids looked three times too large for his face and all of his exposed skin looked unrealistically moist given that it must have been 20 degrees below zero with wind chill, but he trudged along silently leading Toot into the stronghold. They went up one of the side towers and the stairs seemed to go on forever, not that toot minded as he floated ever upwards following his escort. After what seemed to take forever they ended up at a landing with huge double doors made of an opaque deep blue with green lines running through the inner portions of the door. They were beautifully polished until they almost glowed in the dim light from the small tower windows above. "This is where I leave you. I will return to give you safe escort from the castle. Until then the bonds of hospitality are to be upheld." With that the gangly pot bellied person walked impossibly fast down the way they had come and was out of sight in an instant. Toot watched him vanish and wondered how something so big could move so fast. As if in answer to his thoughts the doors split open soundlessly and glided open to reveal a large courtyard of sorts. Ringed by various alcoves and covered terraces, the courtyard was adorned with statues and fountains of various shapes and sizes. Some of the statues Toot recognized from tales of great heroes and vile beasts. Sitting off to one side in flowing sea green and sky blue robes was a woman of unspeakable beauty who radiated power like a nuclear reactor about to go critical. Toot had never before met Leanan Sidehe but he now understood why she was feared and revered. Toot could think of many words to describe her but fierce was the only one that really seemed to fit her. Everything about her was fierce, her beauty, her power, the depths of knowledge and cunning that danced in her eyes and smile. This was not someone you wanted to trifle with or disappoint and if you did, it would only happen once, ending very badly.

"Master Toot-toot of the Wyldfae, do you bear a message from the Earlking or do you have some other business that demands my attention?" she asked as she turned to gaze upon the overly large fairy. Toot almost froze and fell to the ground under the full intensity of her gaze. For a moment he imagined himself turning to pure ice and falling to the ground to shatter into a million tiny little pieces. He quickly remembered why he was here and although every cell in his body was screaming for him to turn and run, he swallowed hard and landed on the pedestal of a statue, just out of reach of the winter's handmaiden.

"My Lady I come bearing grave news from the mortal world that I believe you would want to hear as soon as possible." Folding his arms over his chest and putting on his most serious and somber face, which is very difficult for a dew drop fairy, he continued, "The wizard Harry Dresden, revered among my kind as the Za-Lord was attacked by persons unknown and is currently missing." With this the lady straitened up as if a pole had been run up the back of her gown, recovering she smiled sweetly as if indifferent to the news.

"The wizard Dresden is known to me and he is capable as humans go. I know he was in a tussle not two days ago where he destroyed the entire red court. I'm sure he can handle himself. But, tell me…" She said leaning forward her eyes narrowing slightly, "Why is it you come to me with this news and how does it affect you, little one?"

Toots heart opened and his mouth began to move and in an almost childlike voice said, "Well, because he's hurt. There was a lot of blood and the gold shield humans said he was shot 50 calibres, and it left a BIG HOLE in the side of the boat. They said he fell over the side without his coat." Toot offered softening his posture and pouring his concerns out to the winters Lady. "Harry has always been good to us. He's always treated us fairly and even nicely." He said becoming more intense and passionate as he went, " No other wizard has shown us any respect or kindness, but Harry, he's good to us and we have sworn to serve him and that's why I'm here. It's little known that you are his godmother but yet there it is, I thought if anyone could or would help us it would be you." Toot dared to stand tall and look the handmaiden of the Queen of winter in the eye, his shoulders back, chest out and head high with a solid look of resign on his face where only fear and concern had been moments earlier.

"I understand your concern, and admire your loyalty to my godchild but I'm afraid you are too late little one. You see I was informed early today that the power of the Winters Knight had returned to Queen Mab. I had even hoped it was some sort of trick or ruse on his part, however this could not possibly be the case. He is gone little one, and it pains me to think upon it but your show of support and loyalty to him is admirable and a credit to his memory." With this she turned away her eyes looking glassy and her features softening, if that was even possible for a noble of winter. "I too was fond of the young wizard you know. I couldn't be there for him as I would like or let my fondness for him be known, lest he become a pawn of my enemies." She said, and then a smile graced her lips, "He was annoying, arrogant and completely contrary! Yet he still managed to be a credit to his family and good man. I can see why you liked him so. Just your being here speaks as much to his credit as yours, brave one. Seeing you dare to enter winters stronghold and to seek answers, I can easily believe he was fond of you as well." She finished with a knowing smile.

"So that's it? Is there nothing we can do for him?" Toot asked shaken and trembling, only now realizing that Harry may not be coming back from this adventure. After everything that had happened, all he had done and with the powers of the Winter Knight, it didn't seem possible that he could be… Toot didn't want to even think the word or allow the concept to become in any way related to his master. He had to be okay, he was Harry Dresden, and he was The Za-Lord! He had beaten demons, a fae Queen and had ridden a freaking zombie dinosaur to destroy an entire group of necromancers. He was larger than life, he stopped every bad thing he had ever faced. He couldn't be, gone. He was a good guy and he was supposed to win!

"There is nothing more to be done little one. I'm afraid he is beyond my reach, but take solace in the fact that he was a true friend to your kind, remember what he has done for your people and that will be enough." She said turning back slowly. "Now if you don't mind I do have urgent matters to deal with and must be back to the matters of the court." She said once again taking on an aura of cold, icy, dispassionate resolve. Their meeting was finished.

Suddenly filled with despair, Toots shoulders hunched and his glow diminished by half as his head drooped with the sudden rush of sadness. "Then I will be off m'lady. Thank you for sharing this information with me and I am sorry for your loss. The world will be a much sadder and more dangerous place without him." With that he fluttered off through the doors and down the center of the tower leaving the froglike creature to nearly sprint to keep up with Toot as he freefell to the bottom of the tower stopping just a few feet from the tower floor, then shooting into the courtyard, his pain, anger and fear gave speed and strength to his wings as he streaked into the pale gloom of the winters day. As he neared the gates of Arctis Tor his heart ached and threatened to break or leap from his chest with a new pain that the fairy had never before known. He streaked into the sky and in a flash of sparkly color simply vanished.

Back on the shores of Lake Michigan Toot stood solemnly looking out over the waves knowing that somewhere his master lay needing him, if only to return him to his friends to give him a proper burial and there was no way that Toot was going to fail. Honor and duty steeled his resolve as he, the General of The Za-Lords Guard, looked out into the darkness waiting for news.


End file.
